First, Nixon signed a bill this morning that stripped several regulations out of Prop B, including the 50-dogs-per-breeder cap and requirements for larger cages and annual veterinary exams.

Then lawmakers quickly passed and the governor signed the “Missouri Solution,” which restores some of those provisions, but not the 50-dog limit. The measure was added as an amendment onto an agricultural bill before being passed and signed.

Nixon says Missouri doesn’t have to look elsewhere to find leadership on the puppy mill issue.

“We have strength inside the organizations that are involved here, and I don’t need somebody jetting in to tell us what to do when we can do it ourselves," Nixon told reporters at a press conference in his office.

“I think that it is sort of the worst kind of backroom deal," Schmitz said. "I think that this measure really does a disservice to Missouri voters, as well as (to) the actual dogs that are being housed at these large-scale breeding facilities.”

Schmitz also says the new law may violate the single-subject requirement in the State Constitution, and that they’re considering legal options.

Related Content

Missouri lawmakers have sent Gov. Jay Nixon a new version of a bill rewriting a voter-approved law on dog-breeding.

Wednesday's quick action by the state House and Senate came after Nixon began the day by signing a previously passed bill repealing key sections of the "Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act" approved by voters last November.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has signed legislation repealing part of a voter-approved dog-breeding law in an agreement with lawmakers to consider more changes to breeder regulations.

Nixon signed the legislation Wednesday. It eliminates a cap on owning 50 breeding dogs and rolls back various requirements on dogs' living conditions. Instead, breeders would need to provide appropriate space for dogs based on regulations set by the Department of Agriculture. Operators would pay more for licenses and help finance a program that crack down on unlicensed breeders.